


We Have Arrived

by Mrs_Strife



Category: Final Fantasy Agito, Final Fantasy Type-0
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Ending, Angst, Blood and Gore, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friendship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, School, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:21:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23380834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mrs_Strife/pseuds/Mrs_Strife
Summary: Yet another experiment of Dr. Arecia Al-Rashia- though this time, she fully expects to succeed.Tera is Mother's #17, her special child. After joining Class Zero post-Liberation, Tera struggles to find her purpose within her class as she plots to rescue her sister from Militesi clutches and save the class from their inevitable fate. Sice is a bitch, Nine is always hungry, and King is no help at all, but she's not willing to give up until she's fulfilled all Mother has asked of her.
Relationships: Cater/Eight (Final Fantasy Type-0), King (Final Fantasy Type-0)/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy!
> 
> I found this while digging through my old google drive and was SHOCKED that I never finished or even uploaded this fic, so here we are. I've got nothing but time on my hands nowadays anyway.
> 
> Don't be shy; let me know how you're feeling as the story goes on. I love hearing from readers!
> 
> Enjoy!

"As I'm sure you've realized, you've been promoted to the newest class of cadets in Akademeia: Class Zero."

Dr. Arecia Al-Rashia paced impatiently in front of the three cadets before her. In one slender hand she pinched a smoking cigarette, supported by the slimmest of holders, and in the other flickered a match that struggled to hold its dying flame. Arecia snuffed it out with a sharp flick of her wrist.

The click-clacking of her heeled boots echoed through the empty spaces of her orderly office. The sound did little to ease the mixed emotions of the three children before her. She turned stiffly to have a good look at the cadets and her nose crinkled. Yes, they were children, but not _her_ children. _Well…_ The slightest of smiles slid into the left corner of her mouth and she raised her cigarette to her lips to hide it. _Except the late bloomer…_

"I hope that you will not take this position lightly," she advised in a low voice, puffs of smoke dissolving into the air with every word she spoke.

"We won't," said one of the girls, shaking her head quickly. Her lilac tresses spilled over her narrow shoulders as she did so. "I promise. This is such an amazing opportunity, so how could we?"

The archsorceress sniffed, raising an ebony eyebrow.

"You'd be surprised how many would." The girl shifted uncomfortably as she was eyed over by the older woman. "Remind me of your names."

"Machina Kunagiri," the boy spoke up, straightening his posture.

"Rem Tokimiya," the lilac haired girl answered quickly.

"… Tera."

Dr. Arecia gazed at Tera warmly. _Late bloomer indeed._ Behind the eyes of Machina and Rem, the sorceress saw eagerness to meet their heroes, those who had saved them during the Militesi Empire's invasion of Rubrum. The excitement of children. But not the excitement of children that she loved. Behind Tera's eyes, she saw something different. Cautiousness, for one, but also the remains of loss. The remnants of pain and burdens that no child should bear. Only the child of Dr. Al-Rashia could feel such things and live freely. The memories of the bloody battle were clearly still fresh on her mind. _She'll make a perfect new addition._

"Very well," Arecia replied dismissively. "In a few minutes, you are expected to be in Classroom Zero. There you will meet your CO."

"Commanding Officer?" Rem tilted her head to the side.

"Yes." The sorceress waved her cigarette at them. "Rem, Machina, you're dismissed."

Machina adjusted his new oversized crimson cape over his broad shoulders before nodding at Rem and leading the way out of Arecia's stuffy office. Tera refused to watch them go, keeping her eyes locked on the glossy, ornate floor beneath her boots. Dr. Al-Rashia smiled again, this time more openly.

"How are you, Darling? Holding up alright?" Arecia turned and settled in the crimson chair behind her desk. Tera shrugged, crossing her arms loosely.

"I guess," she mumbled softly. Her pale green eyes flickered up to meet Dr. Al-Rashia's. "I mean, I've been better."

"Perhaps," Arecia cocked her head to the right. "But are you not thankful to be in Class Zero? This is what I've been preparing you for all this time."

"I'm grateful," the girl nodded. She hesitated, looking at the decorative wall behind her superior. Finally, she spoke. "Mother, are you sure I belong here?"

Arecia chuckled lowly, nursing her cigarette before blowing the light smoke out to vanish into the air.

"Of course I am. Don't you trust me, Darling?" Without waiting for an answer, she leaned forward. "I've already spoken with the other children. Don't forget that they were all raised by me as well." Falling back into a lounging position, Arecia crossed her legs and tossed her empty holder onto her neat desk. "Machina and Rem, however…" She raised a slim eyebrow. "Be careful what you say to them. They're in Class Zero because the chancellor personally saw to it that they make progress in Akademeia. If it were my decision..." She smiled bitterly. "Well, let's not discuss that."

"My cape?" Tera asked tentatively, holding up the corner of her lime green cloak. The cloth was shredded and bloodied from her previous fight for Rubrum.

"Of course," Arecia stood swiftly, opening a sleek chestnut cabinet in the back of the room. From it, she pulled a neatly folded piece of scarlet material. "Whose?" She asked, motioning toward the crimson stains on Tera's cape.

"Not mine," she answered, removing the ratty cloth.

"I know," the archsorceress laughed, reaching forth to fasten a new color around her beloved child's slim shoulders. "There would be much more if it was, Darling." She stood back and smiled sympathetically. "You don't know, then?"

"No," Tera whispered, shaking her head. _She knows._

"Don't be late on your first day," Dr. Al-Rashia warned. "Kurasame may not be a fan of the dramatic entrance."

"I won't. I've been here too long to get lost."

"Tera," Arecia said after a moment of silence, pinching the young girl's chin between her slender fingers and tilting her face upward. "You're very special; don't forget that. _But_ being special doesn't mean you deserve this any less than your classmates, you understand?"

"Mother…" Tera sighed, pulling her face free. She took a deep breath and nodded, tossing her previous words out the window of her mind. "I understand."

"Good girl."

Dr. Al-Rashia watched as Tera left the room, laughing to herself when the door thudded shut. She then traipsed back toward her desk, settling back in her chair, and lighting another cigarette.

"Special indeed," she muttered, pulling a pristine folder labeled "Tera- #17" out from underneath a neat stack of papers and tucking it away in the bottom drawer of her desk. With one fluid motion, she turned the lock on the drawer, sealing all evidence of her involvement away from the world. "And hopefully that's just enough to pull you through this time."


	2. Class Zero

Tera pushed her way through the enormous double doors of Mother’s office, stepping out into the real world once more. _The real world…_ The blood-pooled streets and screams of her allies were still all too fresh in her mind. She could still clearly see the agony imprinted on the faces of the severely injured cadets she fought with. She could still see the explosion that sprayed blood and chunks of flesh into the air. She scoffed. _Yeah right. Special my…_

“Hey Tera!”

Before she could react, an arm was slung over her shoulders and a fist dug into her scalp. With a startled yelp, Tera shoved the fist away from her head and pushed one pointy elbow into the assailant’s ribs. Huffing, she straightened, making a futile attempt at smoothing her ruffled hair down before giving up and glaring at the boy behind her.

“Ouch! Why’d you...!?”

“You attacked me,” she huffed, pulling on the bottom of her dark uniform shirt. “Learn your lesson already, Ezra.”

“But learning doesn’t bring much fun, now does it?” Ezra smiled his typical cocky smile. Tera rolled her eyes and headed toward the circular portal that lay a few feet across the room. “Where’re ya headed?”

“Classroom Zero,” she answered abruptly, waiting for her friend to catch up. Simultaneously, they stepped onto the glowing pattern and vanished, reappearing in the entrance of Akademeia’s main building.

“Oh _right,_ I forgot that you’re better than me now,” Ezra teased. “Too good for Class Fifth, huh?”

“… I don’t want this,” Tera muttered with a sigh, crossing her arms tightly over her torso. Ezra, though a complete clown, had somehow reserved a small portion of sympathy for his best friend.

“It won’t be that bad,” he grinned. “I bet all that special treatment’ll make you feel a bit better.” Resting a gloved hand on her shoulder, he bent down to catch her eye. “Don’t be such an introvert, eh? It’ll make your life much easier.”

“I’m not… Whatever,” Tera scoffed, hiding her smile. “I’ve gotta go meet my new CO.”

“See ya later then,” Ezra nodded, giving a single-handed wave.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed past the giant ornate doors that led to a wing for Class Zero specifically. To her right was a relic terminal, casting its eerie red glow against the walls surrounding it. To her left, an identical space that was roped off. _Interesting. Wonder what they're building._ Before her stood the doors of Classroom Zero, slightly ajar. It sounded like quite the commotion was happening. Cautiously, Tera pushed the doors open just enough for her to squeeze through. Machina and Rem stood to her right, gawking at the scene in front of them.

“We only take orders from Mother, got it?” A tall, blonde cadet said firmly, striding toward the man in front of the room who must’ve been the CO. “You’re not wanted here, y…“

Just as he drew too close to the CO for comfort, he was bludgeoned in the face by a gloved fist. A clear cracking sound echoed through the room right on impact, and the cadet flew across the room, slamming into the wall and rolling onto his hands and knees. Several people gasped, including Rem, and Tera clenched her fists at her sides. _Already off to a bad start._ The boy stood, glaring at the uniformed man with bitter hatred. Wiping the blood dripping from the side of his mouth, he stood, charging toward his target.

“ _Ow_ , you son of a bitch! That hurt!”

He raised one tanned fist to swing at the CO, only to have his arm caught mid-strike. The man narrowed his eyes, and with ease, threw the boy up into the air and behind his desk. Tera’s fists tightened, her foot involuntarily hitting the ground a half step before her.

“That’s enough!” a girl called, raising her hands to try to stop a classmate from launching an attack.

Another cadet summoned her pistols, aiming to shoot the man with magicite orbs, but she was blocked by an explosion of ice shards that rose from the floor. Another charged, holding an ornate playing card, only to have a long, three-pronged sword barely miss his throat. His card fluttered to the floor, burning away into green ash.

“Whew!” a boy breathed, flopping down into his seat and leaning back. “This guy is _pretty_ tough.”

The CO narrowed his eyes on the boy’s, his icy blue sword steaming in the face of the cadet in front of him. The boy who’d been thrown over the desk dragged himself up and around to face the assailant once again, this time with a deadly sharp spear in his hands. _No more bloodshed…_

“Not for long!”

“He said it was Mother’s decision!” the black-haired girl called out, trying to make peace once again. “Are you saying you won’t follow Mother’s orders?”

“But...!” the tanned cadet backed off, dropping his spear. With a final huff, he turned away.

“Satisfied?” the CO demanded, sheathing his weapon. “Good. Henceforth, you will execute dominion missions under my command. When you have no assignments, you will live here at Akademeia with the other cadets.”

“On campus?” the magicite-pistol girl frowned, crossing her arms.

“Yes,” the officer responded shortly, obviously out of patience for the children.

“We never had to do that before. Why start now?” another cadet asked.

“Does that come from Mother too?” the girl sneered.

“Yes, those are Dr. Arecia’s orders.”

“Hmm…”

“How hasn’t he strangled one of them by now?” Machina whispered.

“Machina!” Rem hissed, elbowing him.

Tera watched as students unhappily returned to their seats, muttering things about Mother and Akademeia’s “stupid rules.” Class Zero’s commanding officer straightened, finally addressing the new cadets in the back of the room.

“You’re a bit late. Cadet Machina, Cadet Rem, and Cadet Tera! Enter!”

Slowly, Tera followed the other two recruits down to the front of the room, keeping her head down and her hands clasped. _Don’t do anything stupid._ She peered at the cadets through her auburn bangs as she passed, careful not to meet their eyes. Cautiously, she stepped down the wide stairs and positioned herself right beside Rem. She stood nearly a whole head taller than the girl, which made it even harder for her to blend into the shadows she’d dwelt in her entire life.

“Three new cadets have been assigned to Class Zero starting today.”

“Machina Kunagiri. Hello,” Machina spoke up, nodding toward the class. Tera’s breath caught in her throat. _Oh no…_

“Rem Tokimiya. Nice to meet you!” Rem chirped, turning to Tera with a friendly smile.

“T…” Tera coughed, choking on her own breath. Her face growing bright red, she muttered her name. “Tera.”

“Let me guess,” the black-haired girl spoke again, pushing her glasses further up on her nose. “Chaperones?” _What’s that supposed to mean?_

“Your time is yours until you receive further orders. I have high hopes for you all.” The class’s commanding officer raised his right hand. “May the Crystal guide you.” With that, he turned and left the classroom, leaving the cadets behind to do what they wished.

“Good to see you again,” Machina started, capturing the attention of the other cadets. _Oh, by the Crystal…_ “Thanks for the assist the other day.” _Assist?_ She frowned at the red carpeted floor. _They had assistance while I watched the world fall apart._

“Yeah,” Rem added, placing a hand over her heart to emphasize her sincerity. “Thanks so much for helping us out!” She shook her head in disbelief. “Seriously, though, I can’t believe Class Zero is real! Why, my friends and I were sure yourselves were just one of Akademeia’s urban legends now, we were! And you’re so _powerful!_ Just three of you took down a l’Cie! Oh, which reminds me… Why were you able to use your weapons and magic when everyone else couldn’t?”

“That’s classified,” the cadet who attacked the CO earlier answered simply. He stood, yawning, and meshed his fingers behind his head. “Hey, wanna go get some lunch, yo?”

“Who’re you even talking to?” a girl with silver hair asked, leaning forward on her desk. “I’m too tired.”

“Oh, c’mon Sicey!” a brunette with curled bangs whined. “Don’t be like that!”

Groaning, “Sicey” stood buried her face in her arms. Tera froze upon seeing tow cadets approaching her. _What do they want? Another fight?_

“Hey Tera,” one smiled, resting a hand on her hip. “Mother told us about you. I’m Seven, and this is Trey.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Trey bowed slightly.

“… Thanks,” Tera answered plainly.

“So where were you before here?” Seven asked, crossing her arms.

“Huh?” Tera frowned. “Oh, uh, Class Fifth.”

“Ah yes, that lovely group of cadets,” Trey sniffed. “I personally think they’ve traded their brains out for their- what was it? ‘Amazing muscles?’”

Tera scowled; Seven was quick to try to calm her down. “Whatever. Trey’s taken it upon himself to be better than everyone else here.” She shook her head. “But yeah... Eight was from Class Fifth.”

“Eight?” _What’s with the number names?_

“Yeah.” Seven pointed to a smaller boy who was bouncing up and down in the back of the room, sharing a conversation with… “And that’s Cater.” … _Cater_. “Queen’s that girl with the glasses, King’s over there, Ace, Sice, Cinque, Deuce, and Jack just left, and Nine’s the bonehead that attacked Kurasame.” _So his name’s Kurasame. That’s good to know._

“That’s… a lot of names,” Tera breathed, brushing her long bangs out of her eyes.

“You have to learn them somehow. Actually, there’s a unique capability the brain possesses that allows….”

“Save it, Trey!” Cater called from across the room. “She doesn’t wanna hear all that nonsense.”

“She can speak for herself,” Trey muttered.

“She’s right here,” Tera raised an eyebrow.

“And _she’s_ got an attitude,” Seven added, smiling smugly as she crossed her arms. “See ya around, Tera.”

“Yeah,” Tera huffed, watching the two cadets leave. _Good riddance._


	3. Remember to Forget

Tera backed out of the way of Ace as he strode past, opening a door that obviously led outside. Curious, she followed farther behind. The fresh air hit her like a wall, a pleasant contrast to the miserably stuffy air of Akademeia’s main building. It didn’t appear that there was any way to fresh air in other than smashing the windows or propping the only two doors to outside open. The stone path beneath her feet felt better than the floors of the cursed building. It had texture and a certain roughness to it that made it feel real. It wasn’t too smooth or shiny or perfect.

Ace, upon hearing her footsteps behind him, swiveled around. He nodded toward Tera in greeting; she nodded back. So far, she found nothing hostile in his demeanor. “You coming to see the cemetery too?”

“Cemetery?” Tera frowned, her stomach sinking ever so slowly. “Isn’t that where they engrave the fallen soldiers’ names?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “Moglin said we should go check it out.” He slowed his pace to walk beside her. Behind them, the door opened again.

“Who’s Moglin?” Tera asked, barely meeting Nine’s eyes as she walked past.

“Our class Moogle,” Ace explained easily. “Cinque renamed him for us, I guess.” _Cinque. Which one was that again?_

“She tends to do that,” a rough voice said from behind. Starting, Tera turned to see Sice scowling at her. “Just wait until you get a nickname, mouse.” _Mouse. Wonderful._

“Yeah, well, that’s just Cinque, I guess,” Ace shrugged.

Reaching forward, he pushed a rusted iron gate open. It shrieked on its hinges awfully, but it wasn’t a sound Tera didn’t welcome. It meant she was alive, unlike those other cadets from the liberation campaign. The path opened up to a large, green field, full of perfectly arranged headstones. Tera glanced down at the one beside her. _She wasn't even sixteen yet…_

With a frown, she looked back up at the rows, pinpointing ways to tell where to find certain names. It seemed to be alphabetical. Ahead, she could see Machina, Rem, Trey, and Cater. Behind, she could hear Sice dismissing Nine’s attempts at conversation.

“What is this place?” Sice asked, crossing her arms once they’d reached a central pillar that was surrounded by colorful flower bushes.

“It’s called a cemetery,” Rem replied. Machina, who stood beside her, seemed distracted. _He must be looking for someone too._

“What’s a cemetery?” Nine frowned, obviously confused. Tera looked over at him from the corner of her eye. The fact that he sounded much less threatening than earlier was a pleasant surprise. Maybe he wasn’t all that bad.

“Here we carve the names of the fallen so their legacies may live on,” Rem explained, sweeping a hand over the top of a tombstone. Dirt crumbled from the top of the stone at her touch, leaving a clear trail where her fingers were. Trey rested a hand on his hip.

“Because we are unable to retain memories of those who die before us.” Tera felt her ears growing red and she wasn't quite sure why.

“But I heard that the Crystal removes our memories to help us- so that the living won’t be tied down to the dead,” Cater argued, pulling the straps of her backpack higher up onto her shoulders.

“That’s why we leave our Knowing Tags behind before we go into battle,” Machina nodded. “As proof that we lived.” He looked up at his classmates. “If no one comes to pick up a tag, it means that person died.”

“Then that name is engraved here, as the name of someone who died for the Vermilion Bird,” Rem added. “I always make sure to write down the names of everyone that I meet or go out on a mission with. Then, after a mission, I check to see if there are any names I don’t recognize. If there are names that I don’t remember, I come here and look for the people I once knew.” Sighing, she placed a hand over her heart and shook her head. “But… I still can’t remember them.”

“That seems like an awful lot of work for people you don’t remember, yo,” Nine scoffed. “It’s not like they can remember you.”

“Agreed,” Sice nodded, lifting her chin. “What’s the point anyway?”

“I’d rather honor those who died for the Crystal than ignore their sacrifice,” Machina defended.

“Weird,” Cater shook her head. “Hey, where’s Eight?”

“Probably still in class,” Ace shrugged.

One by one, Class Zero cadets left the cemetery. Rem and Machina went their own way, and Ace wandered off on his own, humming a familiar song to himself. Tera, sighing, straightened her pleated skirt and pulled on the tops of her knee-high leather boots. _Might as well._ Taking a deep breath of fresh air, she started walking down the path to wherever it would take her. She closed her eyes, letting her senses take over. The lovely smell of grass, the songs of birds and whirring of machinery, the warmth of the sunlight on her back… She was glad to be alive. But that boy… No, _she_ was the only reason she was alive. Just she and Mother.

She stopped, opening her eyes slowly. Before her were two headstones, both of which had names she knew well. Rather, one she knew well, and the other had been spoken about often when she and Ezra were together. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Somehow, they’d ended up right next to each other. _Rain_ and _Rayne._

She and Ezra had always prided themselves in knowing that their siblings basically had the same name- it was their only conversation topic for a solid week after meeting. It was so absurdly stupid. But then… Tera chewed on her bottom lip, wincing when she bit into a healing cut. Rain, who was in Class Eleventh before becoming a legionnaire, was killed on the front lines. Ezra didn’t remember, because of the Crystal, but when it was explained to him by the Commander, he was devastated. Somehow, he retained the conversations they’d had about two people who had the same name, but he didn’t remember that name. _Rain._

And Rayne… Tera’s eyes narrowed, her hands balling into fists at her sides. She wasn’t dead. No matter what the Commander tried to tell her, she wasn’t. Ezra had never actually met her, so there went that evidence, but he still knew what memories Tera had shared. The commissioner had been shut up and threatened, she was sure of it. Why else wouldn’t they speak of her? Tera remembered her. _Mother_ remembered her.

Tera forced her hands to loosen and her face to relax. No, she would fight the Militesi Empire to get her sister back, even if it meant more bloodshed and nightmares and casualties. She _would_ save Rayne and she _would_ prove everyone wrong. 


End file.
